A Caprine Discussion
by Joshua Primrose
Summary: A mountain hide-away brings three people to realise the truth about themselves.  A soul-searching story written for Taragh Mccarthy's "The Animal Challenge".  Not Slash. Dean, Ernie and Roger.
1. Ernie MacMillan

I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to others.

Written for Taragh MacCarthy's challenge "The Animal Challenge"

**A Caprine Discussion**

**Part 1 - Ernie MacMillan**

"Say, Ernie, could you pass me some water?"

"Sure thing, Dean." The tall, muscular boy reached in to his backpack, pulled out a bottle and chucked it to the black boy.

"Nice up here, isn't it?" Ernie asked, trying to make some conversation. "I could spend the rest of my life here."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Dean said, ruffling a hand through his hair. "Not unless you're a mountain goat." He laughed at his joke, but stopped when he saw Ernie hadn't. "What, you think you're a goat?" he asked incredulously.

"Sort of," Ernie said. "I mean, I've always been headstrong-"

"You can say that again," Dean interrupted with a chuckle. "Remember second year? You completely lied to Harry, telling him you're pureblood. Everyone thinks you actually are."

"Really?" Ernie's eyes widened at that. "God, those people are gullible. Not like the mountain goat," he said, bringing the conversation back. "You know it's more like an antelope than just a full goat. They're bloody aggressive and protective, basically a vicious Hufflepuff," he added with a twinkle in his eyes.

"And that's you down pat," Dean laughed. He turned to look out over the fields below and his vision started to haze. "You know, we have a little something in common."

"Oh yeah?" a voice from behind the two friends said. They turned suddenly to raise their wands against the newcomer.

"Calm down, Ernie, It's just me, Roger Davies."

"Prove it," he spat.

"You got stuck up on the astronomy tower in your third year and I was the one who did it. Also, you came to me rather than anyone else when things started to happen to your body. I believe you described it as-"

"Okay, I believe you," Ernie spluttered. "Never mention that again, okay mate?"

"Sure," Roger said, seating himself on the right-hind side of Ernie and then shot Dean a look.

"Is he safe?" he asked Ernie, giving a head jerk.

"Yeah," he said. "We came up here together."

"Speaking of which, why are we here?" Roger asked, looking between the two boys.

"It's calm and away from Snatchers. Why are you here? How did you find us?"

"Fifth year. I put tracking charms on you." Dean jumped up.

"Isn't that illegal? Ernie, I don't trust this guy." He retreated and pulled out his wand. "Who are you really? Why would you put tracking charms on Ernie?"

"Dean, calm down!" Ernie shouted. "He's my cousin!"


	2. Dean Thomas

I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to others.

Written for Taragh MacCarthy's challenge "The Animal Challenge"

**A Caprine Discussion**

**Part 2 - Dean Thomas**

It took around twenty minutes for Dean to calm down and listen to the two. It turned out that their grandmother had been a squib, and their mothers were sisters who both thought each other was dead. There was even a grave for each of them, one down in Wiltshire for Ernie's mother and one in Inverness for Roger's.

"No offence, guys, but that sounds like a soap opera," Dean said, sitting down on his rock again. Roger gave a bark of laughter.

"You can say that again. So, you're one of Potter's friends, aren't you?" Roger asked, quirking an eyebrow at Dean.

"Not really. It was just me an Seamus. Finnegan," he supplied, seeing Roger's confused expression. "Didn't get on all that well with him really, just a Quidditch love that kept us together. I didn't really feel much like a Gryffindor at times."

"Really?" the other asked in unison. Dean had never said anything about this.

"Yeah. I mean, I was more independent than most of the people in there. My grades were quite good and they would have been better if I'd ditched Seamus. Really, I felt more like Ravenclaw."

There was a good long silence after that statement. Both Ernie and Roger sat there looking Dean over. Dean squirmed a little under the attention and continued.

"Really, Ernie was saying he's like a mountain goat. I guess I'm more like a Cretan Ibex. Have you heard of them? Goats that will avoid tourists, blend in with those around them but never really be one. And their leaping ability… it's incredible. I saw them last summer with my parents in Crete. I'd like to think I'm like one of them."

It was the most Ernie had ever seen Dean say in one go. He looked at his friend critically, remembering the day the two of them had met.

"_Did you hear?" a voice around the corner was saying. "Harry and Ron saved Granger from the troll."_

"_Did he really?" Ernie asked instinctively. "That's rather powerful, isn't it? Wow." The boy turned around and looked at Ernie._

"_Yeah, I guess. I'm muggle-born, I wouldn't know."_

"_So am I." Ernie said eagerly. He thrust his hand out at the other speaker. "I'm Ernest MacMillan. Ernie."_

"_Dean Thomas. Say, aren't you that Hufflepuff fellow I've seen around?"_

"_Possibly. There are a lot of us."_

"_Not really," Dean said, frowning at the boy. "There's what, about ten people in each year. So there's about seventy people in Hufflepuff. Not that many."_

"_I guess. Big castle for two hundred and eighty people plus staff, isn't it?"_

"_I prefer… roomier," Dean said after a little thought. He took Ernie's hand and shook it after he realised how long it had been held there._

"_Well, I've got Charms now," Dean said._

"_Me too!" Ernie practically shouted. He blushed and repeated it in a more casual tone. "Go there together?"_

"_Yeah, sure."_

Since that day they'd met up on occasion, and often went to Hogsmeade with some others of Ernie's friends. Dean tried inviting Seamus, but he tagged along with Parvati and Lavender, giving Dean a wink and a crude gesture.

Dean was actually remembering the same event, and a grin was forming on his face.

"Yeah, I'm a Cretan goat."


	3. Roger Davies

I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to others.

Written for Taragh MacCarthy's challenge "The Animal Challenge"

**A Caprine Discussion**

**Part 3 - Roger Davies**

Roger was watching the two friends who shared a look of nostalgia on their faces. He suddenly felt like he was encroaching on their time together, after all he had only arrived because the tracking charms showed Ernie in a suddenly warded place and couldn't tell whether they were hostile or not. He stood up to leave and walk away, let the two friends be together.

He apparated back to the office, and returned to his mentor's desk.

"Sir, do you need anything?" he asked the middle-aged man who sat there.

"Roger, I've told you to call me Patrick," he said. "And where have you been?"

"I needed to see to my cousin. My tracking charms went off," he explained. Patrick Wadcock nodded kindly.

"Good to know your family is safe. One can never really tell in these dark times."

"Yes," Roger said, with a small smile on his face. "We don't have the luxury of goats, do we sir?" he added before realising what he'd said. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant," Patrick said with an understanding look in his eyes. "After all, goats aren't affected by this war, are they? They can afford to be selfish. We can't risk that nowadays."

"I disagree sir," Roger countered. "If anything, goats are more territorial than we humans. And more protective. We'd be better off as goats, sir. At least then I wouldn't feel so useless."

"An interesting stance," Patrick mused. He sat there and rubbed his temples before bringing his palms together. "But when you have children, you'll find nothing more protective than a mother," he finished, smiling a little and his joke. Roger quirked an eyebrow at his mentor and gave his final thoughts.

"Hopefully, sir, I will reach that day. The war is dragging ever closer."

"Indeed. And when it gets here, hopefully, we will all be goats."


End file.
